My salutations to the guru who opens the eyes of the one who is blind due to the darkness of ignorance with an ointment of knowledge. The first full week of May is celebrated as Teachers Appreciation week in the…
This month we review the Oscar-nominated documentary 13th by filmmaker Ava DuVernay. This film takes an in-depth look at the industrial prison complex and the 13th Amendment which contributes to mass incarceration. The film highlights the role that politics and…
Days after a wonderful visit with a good friend who lives in Maryland and was here seeing family, the quote about not being able to go home again popped into my mind. I googled it to see others’ thoughts, and…
Sometimes trees will surprise you. Even those that are so common that they go virtually unnoticed. Take the Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) for example. It is a tree that grows from the east coast of the United States all the…
Webster’s dictionary has the meaning of the word “loss” as the state of feeling grief when deprived of someone or something of value; and the word “healing” meaning to make sound or whole. Since the election of Donald Trump, there…
One of the benefits in living in central Illinois is that our communities are big enough to provide amenities and small enough to produce connections that enable citizens to be influencers. This column is a good example of how two…
MUSIC May 1 and each Wednesday: John Miller. 6 p.m. Rhythm Kitchen. 676-9668. May 1-17: Gerald M. Brookhart Arts in Education Spring Celebration. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Peoria County Courthouse Plaza. 672-6906. May 1: Bradley String Chamber Music, 7:30 p.m.…
Susanne Nestory has been a resident of Peoria for a little more than a decade. She came from New Jersey as the interim director of Bradley University’s Gallery and Collections and is currently and has been an adjunct professor since…
Learn the truth about the graduated income tax. There are only eight states including Illinois that still have a regressive flat tax that hits low-income and middle-income earners the hardest. Gov. JB Pritzker favors a fair/graduated income tax with high-income…
Workers’ Memorial Day is Saturday, April 28, and if you’re reading this issue before then, central Illinois labor unions are having a 3 p.m. service at the Workers Memorial Monument outside City Hall to honor workers who’ve died or been…
First light on a July morning hints at the heat and humidity to follow, but Dwayne Harris has a joyful heart as he lugs around heavy hoses and waters 100 raised vegetable beds at 5 a.m. Harris has a goal…
Sherrie Campbell uses her body to communicate, heal, nurture and inspire. The former principal dancer with Peoria Ballet says her deep connection with the environment and dance has helped her navigate rough periods in life and infuses her with healing…
Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell said voting helps jail detainees feel connected and responsible for their communities. It also reduces recidivism rates. To facilitate voting, there are modular kiosks in hallways in the Peoria County Jail with instructions about voting…
A serious accident at the Journal Star resulted in the loss of a man’s leg. The incident occurred Dec. 21, and an investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration remains ongoing. Journalists were ordered not to report on…
Ordinarily, I write this column on one topic. This month I’m writing on three topics. One of the saddest phone calls I received from my son Darin was to tell me of Randy Simmons passing. I have known Randy for…
It’s a gigantic pissing contest between two of Peoria’s major icons. Bradley’s basketball coach is ticked off at the PJ Star sports department. Wardle’s team this year made it to the NCAA tournament and suddenly the coach decided to get…
After a career as a chef and restauranteur – including running Coop’s in Princeville for eight years – Sherri Cooper was looking forward to a retirement renovating the Washington C. Wear homestead, a property on the National Register of Historic…
Following one of the largest mass shootings in New Zealand history that left 49 dead and more injured — New Zealand Prime Minister: “I can tell you one thing right now. Our gun laws will change.” Richard Cohen, president Southern…
BY ZACHARY GITTRICH On March 11, the Board of Trustees for the Village of Dwight voted 5-2 in favor of the construction of a privately-run, for-profit immigrant prison operated by Immigration Centers of America (ICA). While over 90 percent of…
BY SHARON L. CREWS Companies marketing their computer programs have targeted public schools with Title I money to spend. These companies were encouraged by the enthusiasm for change spawned by the “No Child Left Behind” program that promised miraculous educational…
Yesterday, I was at a dinner hosted at a friend’s house when the person sitting opposite me introduced himself. In turn I introduced myself by just the name and expected to return to casual polite conversation with everyone. But he…
